UT Libraries Mark Three Anniversaries with ‘Remarkable’ Celebration

The University of Tennessee Libraries is marking three anniversaries this year and inviting students, faculty, staff and the public to a celebration on Oct. 26.

“A Remarkable Time: Celebrating the Past, Anticipating the Future” will be held from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Jack E. Reese Galleria of the John C. Hodges Library.

The celebration will include music, food and a book sale. A program in the auditorium will begin shortly after 6 p.m.

Bruce Wheeler, professor emeritus of history, will speak about the history of the university and, specifically, its libraries. The event will be emceed by Sylvia Peters, teacher, education advocate and founding partner of the Edison Project, which provides curriculum and other educational tools to schools across the U.S. and the United Kingdom.

Bill Bass, professor emeritus of anthropology and founder of “The Body Farm,” will be a special guest and oversee the auctioning off of an opportunity for someone’s name to be used as a character in one of his upcoming novels.

The event is sponsored by the Lancaster Lecture Fund. People interested in attending should RSVP by calling (865) 974-0037.

This year, UT Libraries is marking the 20th anniversary of the renovation of the John C. Hodges Library, the 75th anniversary of the James D. Hoskins Library and the 100th anniversary of UT as a land-grant Federal Depository Library.

“UT Libraries has grown with the University of Tennessee, and in many ways enabled and supported the university’s rise to a major research institution. By celebrating these milestone anniversaries, we can take a moment to remember the many books read, papers and dissertations written and ideas explored here. I am honored to be able to salute the rich past of UT Libraries and look forward to continued enlightenment and discovery,” said Barbara I. Dewey, dean of libraries.

Hoskins Library, at first named the Central Library, opened in 1931. The Hodges Undergraduate Library originally opened in 1969 as a four-story building.

As the campus and student enrollment grew, the UT Board of Trustees decided in 1983 to add 250,000 square feet to Hodges Library. The giant renovation — which was largely new construction — began the next year, and the new Hodges reopened in 1987 as the state’s largest library. Construction cost about $29 million.

In 1907, UT’s small library was located in the Old College building, but even as it opened its doors, university officials were planning a new library. Based on the expected growth, the federal government designated UT as a Federal Government Depository, which means the library provides the public free access to government documents and information. In conjunction with this anniversary, the library is holding an essay contest for students. The deadline is Oct. 30. For more information, go to http://www.lib.utk.edu/refs/govdocs100/essay-info.html.